Dark Empire
The Dark Empire was a massive dictatorship ruled by Eostra Nihiltian, Millennium, and the Dark Lord which conquered much of Spherus Magna in 1,001 AGC in an alternate universe. A coalition of the military forces of the Veiled One Empire, the Shadow of Ages, and the Empire of Shadows, the Dark Empire quickly became one of the most powerful factions in the history of the universe. After forcing their rule over most of the planet and ruthlessly crushing all opposition, the Empire ruled Spherus Magna for roughly 100 years of undisputed supremacy, before they were finally defeated by the Spherus Magna Reform Coalition, which later reformed into the Collectives of Light when they were overthrown from power. Though the emperors themselves were exiled to the Confusion Dimension, and the Empire collapsed and fragmented, it continues to exist to this day, though on what level is unknown. History Early Years The Dark Empire was formed shortly after the Battle of Bara Magna and Makuta Teridax's death, when Millennium called Eostra and the mysterious being known only as the "Dark Lord" and asked them to join their armies with his, to conquer the known universe. The two dictators accepted this proposal, though it is unknown whether the Dark Empire ever expanded beyond Spherus Magna. Soon after, using a combination of open violence and assassination of the Toa Nuva and many of the Toa Mahri, the three armies gained control over most of Spherus Magna. During these one hundred years following their takeover, the Empire declared itself the ruling body of Spherus Magna, and proceeded to wipe out the remnants of the Toa and other resistances who attempted to destabilize their regime. These many victories, coupled with their unmatched ruthlessness, allowed the Empire to force the population into submission relatively quickly, despite many violent battles against the Great Beings, Noctians, and Toa. After defeating the Great Beings following the mysterious Great Being Rebellion, the Empire ruled virtually unchallenged for nearly fifty years. Formation of the Resistance However, despite crushing military defeats, the rebel cause soon regained momentum following a week-long seige of Vulcanus led by Toa Jareroden and his team. Despite the fact the rebels were defeated, many escaped capture and joined a major group of freedom fighters who lived in hiding within Atero. The rebellion did not escape the notice of the Empire, however, though they did not discover the base during this period of time. After this, the rebel cause began to attract more sympathy from the villages and cities of Spherus Magna, and the rebels were able to infiltrate cities such as Tesara and Tajun. Campaigns against the Rebellion With the rebellion's attacks growing more daring, the Empire began a multipronged campaign of subterfuge, assassination, and intrigue against the rebel movement. Whilst battles broke out between the two factions, the Empire officially declared to the population that they were merely in "heated political discussions" with the resistance, rather than actively fighting them. Behind the scenes, however, the Empire's generals, Dredzek, Skorpix, and Sovnoron were actively sending their forces out to terminate the resistance under the guise they carrying out "further law enforcement", an illusion that persisted for many years. In 1,101 AGC, the resistance attempted to infiltrate Eostra's Stronghold on Bota Magna, hoping to smuggle water stones to Atero from her fortress. While several resistance fighters escaped, they were attacked by the bounty hunter Nightwatcher, and many were killed, including the Mersion scientist Mersery. Soon after, rebel fighters were defeated in Vulcanus, and Tesara was razed to the ground by a squadron led by Nightwatcher and Varkanax. While most of the rebellion's agents escaped unharmed, many people were left homeless in the devastation, and the violence backfired against the Empire as more and more beings became sympathetic to the rebellion's cause. At the same time, the Empire discovered the rebellion's base in Atero, and sanctioned a violent Skakdi raid as a cover-up for a group of bounty hunters, who had been hired to steal the Kanohi Ignika from the resistance's vaults. While the invasion was defeated, the bounty hunters escaped with the Ignika. Warfare Main article: Dark Empire War With the resistance weakened but still undefeated, and the flames of open rebellion stirring across the Empire in the wake of the battles in Vulcanus and the razing of Tesara, a war party led by Jareroden clashed with Imperial agent Benjarmin's legions in the Black Spike Mountains. This battle, and Jareroden's victory, quickly became known across the Empire. As the rebels clashed with Imperial legions, the Empire exploded into violence, with massive battles breaking out across the wastelands. At the same time, the bounty hunter Nightwatcher, having been humiliated by the three Emperors for his failure to destroy the resistance leaders in Vulcanus, decided to join the rebellion for their war council in Atero. The resistance, after meeting with its senior members, officially declared war on the Empire, sending Toa Stradax and his legions to hold off the Imperial army in the wastelands while the rest of the resistance marched on Eostra's fortress on Bota Magna. Soon after, a battle in Iron Canyon also ended in defeat for the Empire. Endgame Main articles: Battle of Creep Canyon and Battle of Bota Magna Following a second defeat in the Northern Frost, the rebellion marched on Eostra's fortress. While they were easily able to defeat the guards outside the fortress, the main Imperial force nearly destroyed their army. The three Emperors, draining power from the stolen Kanohi Ignika, where able to absorb many of its energies. However, the Dark Lord, seeing the rebels closing in on his allies, betrayed his fellow rulers and caused them to fall into a hidden pit of Energized Protodermis. With the Ignika's power in his hand, the Dark Lord was about to annihilate the resistance when Nightwatcher defeated him, causing the treacherous emperor to fall into the pit as well. The remainder of the Dark Lord's soldiers, who had lost the support of the remaining Shadow of Ages soldiers after the Dark Lord's betrayal, scattered, and the Shadow of Ages were forced to surrender soon after. Then, out of the pit rose a terrible Dark Fusion with all the power of the three emperors and the Ignika. After realizing the resistance would never surrender, the fusion attacked the rebels, as did the remaining Shadow of Ages soldiers. Most of the Dark Lord's soldiers fled after the fusion emerged from the pit. In this final battle, many resistance fighters lost their lives. Finally, the fusion managed to defeat Nightwatcher, burying the bounty hunter beneath the rubble of the fortress. With Nightwatcher seemingly killed, the resistance was forced toward the exit by Imperial warriors. Nightwatcher, however, was alive, and rose from the ruins, locking his power and that of the fusion's into an unbreakable struggle. The Empire's soldiers were all killed or forced to flee. Nightwatcher's power finally destroyed the fusion, and the Emperors were defused. The same day, the last Imperial soldiers in Bota Magna surrendered. Nightwatcher was believed to have been killed in the final battle, but in reality survived and escaped. With Eostra defeated, her control over the legions of Corpsians wavered, and Stradax was able to defeat the Imperial forces at Creep Canyon. When Eostra was exiled to the Confusion Dimension days later, the Veiled Ones were horribly weakened, and without the support of the Corpsians, the Empire began to collapse in on itself. Fragmentation The Battle of Bota Magna was a crushing blow to the Empire, and the government only remained banded together by the Emperors' servants in the Valley of the Maze. A remnant of the Imperial Army survived as well, but was defeated by Toa Stradax three days after, ending any hope for a retaliation from the Empire's remaining strongholds. However, unknown to both the Empire and the resistance, the generals of the Empire, Skorpix, Sovnoron, and Dredzek, escaped death at the Battle of Bota Magna as well, and planned to rebuild the Empire in secret with a small group of surviving Imperial commanders. Meanwhile, the Empire continued to fragment, with the government and armies descending into complete anarchy on Bara Magna and Bota Magna. The leaders of the Empire in Aqua Magna, primarily the soldiers of the Dark Lord's navy, began to turn on each other as well when they learned of the Emperors' defeat. This complete collapse into anarchy over the span of three years allowed the resistance to reform into the ruling government of Spherus Magna, the Collectives of Light. The Empire's defeat also caused a massive economic collapse, leaving many people homeless. The Empire continued to fragment over the course of three years, and eventually their one remaining capitol, the Valley of the Maze, was attacked by the Collectives, though they were unable to claim it. Following this, the Empire became a haven for warlords and other ambitious army generals attempting to carve out their own kingdoms in the massive power vaccuum. Imperial Reform The Imperial Reform was a turning point in the conflicts following the aftermath of the Battle of Bota Magna. As the Empire continued to crumble and deteriorate, two Imperial warlords, an Empire of Shadows commander named Xaxis and a Shadow of Ages leader known as Kulant, joined their two sizeable factions together to form a large fragment of the Empire which they called the "New Dark Empire". Amassing their united forces together, Kulant and Xaxis' forces attacked the Collectives from all sides, and succeeded in retaking several strategic locations in the battles, including Vulcanus following a week-long struggle. Whilst this occurred, the Imperial remnant attacked the White Quartz Mountains, and retook several fortresses in the neighbouring Black Spike Mountains region. After claiming Iconox, the Imperial force cut off the Collectives from all outside support. With these early victories complete, Kulant and Xaxis' forces then regrouped at the Great Jungle, and advanced on Lein's Drift, planning to claim the new fortress built there. However, before they could conquer the region, the two commanders received word that the Valley of the Maze had been claimed by another warlord, allowing the Collectives to force the Imperial fragment into retreat. Due to this, the New Dark Empire's army scattered, and ambitious generals from within the military longing to gain command over the new empire soon arose. This caused the "New Dark Empire" to tear itself apart. The cities the Empire had captured revolted in the wake of their collapse, and swiftly came under the control of the Collectives again. Due to the overwhelmingly successful three victories Kulant and Xaxis had shared during this event, the Collectives were deeply shaken, and redoubled their military strength in order to be ready for more Imperial upsurges. Second Battle in the Wastelands Eventually, whilst camping in the wastelands, scouts of Jareroden's team detected an advance of Corpsian soldiers, who somehow still existed following Eostra's defeat. The Corpsians brutally attacked, and tore through the Collectives' ranks, though were eventually evened out when Jareroden rallied his troops and regained their footing. During the conflict, Jareroden learned that these Corpsians were not part of the Dark Empire or any of their remnants, but in fact, were acting independently. Eventually, the Corpsians retreated slightly, though only to reveal their captives; Speewaa and Onika. The leader of the Corpsian force, Aeriela Kharna, who had survived the battles at the Valley of the Maze, then revealed herself, and ordered Jareroden to pass on a message to Shardak: either hand himself over to her forces or cause Speewaa and Onika to be executed. After a short argument, Aeriela and her group departed, threatening to kill their two captives if Shardak wasn't handed over in five days. Known Members The Dark Empire consisted mainly of six, full time members, three of which were the emperors themselves, the others being their personal high generals and second-in-commands. *Eostra Nihiltian - Female Elemental of Annihilation. *Millennium - Ancient time-wielding entity. *Dark Lord - Sinister cloaked being of extraordinary power. *Skorpix - Elemental warrior and general of Eostra. *Dredzek - Former Makuta of Versuva and Millennium's general. *Sovnoron - Servant and general of the Dark Lord. Known Servants Though the Empire's armies were large and diverse, a small number of its soldiers and servants were known by name. Below is a list of all warriors known to have been in servitude of the Empire. *Benjarmin - Former Makuta of Tersvranem. *Vezon - An insane half-Skakdi and the personal jester of the Empire's rulers. *Trek - Former Makuta of an unknown island. *Garras - Former member of the New Brotherhood of Makuta. *Vicoran - Former member of the Brotherhood of Makuta. *Varkanax - Deceased Elemental Demon. *Flareus - Elemental Prince of fire and member of the Shadowy Ones. *Banrax - Elemental Prince and member of the Shadowy Ones. *Puberax - Toa of Shadow. *Gardorax - Rahi beast tamed by Eostra. *Odina Drones - Robotic creations fighting for the Empire. *Shadowhawk - Deity of Shadows. *Metrados - Former third in command of the Brotherhood of Makuta. *Merodos - Psychotic Skakdi-Makuta hybrid. *The Element Lord of Technology - A powerful, feared, and mysterious being who fought in the Core War. *Harponok - Makuta serving in Eostra's army. *Nevotnor-411 - A robotic being created by Harponok. *Krakanus - Alpha Makuta and former member of the Brotherhood of Makuta. *Spinorak - Former Makuta of Voya Nui. *Blood Vines - A group of criminals serving the Dark Lord. *Treix - Former member of the Brotherhood of Makuta *Raptrix - Ripin warlord of the Southern Continent. *Sawrall - Skrall soldier and assassin of Millennium. *Manouy - Imperial soldier of Eostra. *Tekih - Imperial soldier of the Dark Lord. *Kental - Imperial soldier of Eostra. *Milode - Imperial soldier of Millennium. *Rahkan - Imperial soldier of Eostra. *Xaxis - Empire of Shadows member. *Kulant - Shadow of Ages member. Infrastructure The structure and government of the Dark Empire was as intricate and delicate as it was complex. Although it originally started out mainly as a military war party, the group soon evolved into an diverse and supremacist political party. Though, by all means, still a fighting faction, the Dark Empire was also equally balanced out by the deep political spiral that made up its ruling councils, select divisions, intelligence branches, and executive departments. In more than one way, the political system of the Empire formed its chief support frame that kept it stable prior to its collapse. Numerous representatives of all three of the main factions that formed the alliance would come together and discuss matters that would both expand the borders of the Empire, and ensure the development of its civilisation. However, the Dark Empire was a ruthless regime, being brutal and unconcerned for the suffering and pain it caused to its numerous subjects across Spherus Magna. It was a dictatorship, and held no regards for the welfare of its citizens, and in fact encouraged their subjugation. It commonly employed the usage of slave labor, and regularly sent out fear-inspiring propaganda to keep the public in line. It was also noted for employing public executions to make examples out of rebellious fighters. Unsurprisingly, the Empire firmly upheld the ideals of totalitarian, imperialization, and authoritarian. Though brutal and cruel, the Empire had actually managed to establish a strong, stable, and secure society, with an exceptionally stable economy, though when the war with the resistance brought about its collapse, the power vacuum left behind sent the worldwide economy into utter anarchy. With the fall of the Empire's control, came a following time of much slow and painful rebuilding, turmoil, and poverty. No matter, the Empire was a surprisingly stable alliance for such power-hungry leaders, and all three groups worked in perfect synchronization and harmony with each other, which is possibly a main reason why the Empire functioned so efficiently. Though the Dark Lord eventually betrayed his fellow leaders in their final battle, and briefly broke their triumvirate, the Imperial rule was fairly secure, and their leadership was unquestioned. However, the main flaw and weakness of the Empire was that it was too heavily dependant and reliant upon its three main rulers, and when they were overthrown and exiled to the Confusion Dimension, there was an uproar in the Empire, since there were never any suitable candidates to replace the three heads of the Empire. This mainly stems from the fact that Eostra, Millennium, and the Dark Lord never intended to be replaced by any future successors in their reign, believing they would always remain in control of the alliance that was the Dark Empire. Armies The Dark Empire possessed one of the largest and mightiest armies in existence. Its military easily dwarfed those of the League of Six Kingdoms and the Brotherhood of Makuta, and for a long time, it was believed the Empire's army was unstoppable. Consisting of three main divisions, made up by the three respective armies of each of the Empire's rulers, the Imperial Army was both a devastating force on land and sea. Its sea armada and battlefleet were massive and indomitable, and its ground-based military was large enough to overrun and overwhelm any force that could oppose them. Its forces were also expanded when the Empire absorbed a number of other factions they had conquered into their mass. Despite this, the Empire still took it upon themselves to hire bounty hunters to perform select and specialized missions for them, where their field troops could not. Soldiers of the Dark Empire were mainly drafted from the three factions that made up the Empire; the Shadow of Ages, the Veiled One Empire, and the Empire of Shadows, though the Empire was also known to employ and recruit other warriors and servants into its ranks to fight for them and enforce its will as well, regardless of whether they had served under one of the factions in the past or not. All members were required to be members for life, and betrayal was unacceptable. Treachery was commonly punishable by death. The three main halves of the Empire were ruled and influenced by Eostra, the Dark Lord, and Millennium, and all three armies were directly controlled by their three generals; Skorpix, Sovnoron, and Dredzek, who would serve as the army's field officers and military executors, whilst their masters served as the overall supreme commanders of the military. *'Veiled One Empire' - The army of Veiled One Empire was the essential backbone of the Dark Empire's military, and its warriors, the Veiled Ones, would become the main foot soldiers that would provide the bulk of the Empire's fighting force. Though somewhat disposable on the battlefield, the Veiled Ones were a crucial part to the Imperial Army. Out of all the army, the Veiled Ones had the most developed ranking system, basing it on the power and value of different breeds of Corpsian fighters. Without the support of the Veiled Ones, the power of the Imperial Army was halved due to their absence from the forces. *'Empire of Shadows' - The Dark Lord's force were less abundant than the Veiled Ones, but equally just as deadly. The mindless, skeletal troopers created to serve the Dark Lord were usually utilized in missions of sabotage, infiltration, assassination and more. The Dark Lord's men often served as the Empire's assassins and abduction specialists, and this role quickly garnered them the public image of fear-inspiring killers of the Empire. The Empire of Shadows' army was also notable for making up a majority of the Empire's warfleet and navy. *'Shadow of Ages' - The smallest army, and the one least suited to open combat and direct warfare. Millennium's legions did not hold the same edge that its fellow two armies did, though they played a key role nonetheless. Due to its smaller the size, the Shadow of Ages mainly functions as a spy network, providing intelligence and information to the rest of the military. Beyond this role, Millennium's army also functioned something like private police, and enforced the Empire's will in specific areas rather than more general spaces. The group's troops also served as the elite bodyguards of higher ranking Imperial members, ordered to protect them when battle comes their way. Trivia *Though the Empire's emblem was designed and hand-drawn by , was the one who provided the animated version, and designed it on Paint. Appearances *''Dark Realities'' (First Appearance) *''Broken Worlds''